Post-Confirmation Reflection

Congratulations to all of the 8th graders who were Confirmed yesterday, including my class of 10 students! I pray that they will feel the abundant graces of the Holy Spirit and the Gifts of the Spirit, flowing in and through them all the days of their lives!

As promised, I put together a guided reflection that I’m going to use tonight to help the young people reflect on yesterday’s experience. I think this will give them an opportunity to sift through all of the hustle and bustle of yesterday and zero in on the actions of the Lord that were at the center of this sacramental experience.

I’m sure it was hard for the kids to take it all in as it was happening yesterday. It didn’t help that the sound system in the church is not the best and that the wireless microphone the bishop used for his homily was not working! About halfway through the homily, the associate pastor came to the rescue with another working microphone but, unfortunately, a great deal of his message was lost at this point. Finally, and I don’t want to be too critical here, but the fact that the bishop went on for about 40 minutes didn’t help either! He spent about 20 minutes doing some dialogue with the kids (this was when the mic wasn’t working) and then about 20 minutes of sharing his thoughts on the sacrament. I think the kids’ attention eventually drifted.

That’s why I think it’s helpful to take some time, post-confirmation, to reflect on the actions of the Rite and to help them to recognize the graces that penetrate any of these minor distractions.

Feel free to use this guided reflection and to adapt it to suit your own needs. I hope you find it useful.

Joe Paprocki, DMin, is National Consultant for Faith Formation at Loyola Press. He has more than 30 years of experience in ministry and has taught at many different levels. He is the author of numerous books, including the bestseller The Catechist’s Toolbox and Under the Influence of Jesus.

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Joe Paprocki, DMin, is National Consultant for Faith Formation at Loyola Press. He has more than 30 years of experience in ministry and has taught at many different levels. He is the author of numerous books, including the bestseller The Catechist’s Toolbox and Under the Influence of Jesus.

Barb Gilman is a wife, mother, and third-grade Catholic school teacher. She is the winner of the 2014 NCEA Distinguished Teacher Award for the Plains States. Active on social media, @BarbinNebraska is the co-organizer of the #CatholicEdChat on Twitter.

Denise Gorss is Web Editor at Loyola Press and a catechist with 15 years experience, mostly in junior high. She appreciates the gifts of Ignatian spirituality and likes sharing various types of prayer with the young people in her groups. She enjoys seeing the world on pilgrimages and lives in the Chicago area.

Darcy Osby is Director of Religious Education at St. Bernard Parish in Pittsburgh, PA. She has been involved in a variety of parish catechetical programs for over 12 years and loves working in ministry professionally. Darcy holds bachelor’s degrees in elementary education and theology from Carlow University in Pittsburgh, as well as a Master of Divinity from the Catholic Theological Union in Chicago. She and her husband enjoy exploring God’s creation through hiking, canoeing, and kayaking.

Eric Gurash is a former radio personality and 17-year convert to the Catholic faith who holds a B.Th from Newman Theological College in Edmonton, AB. He has been involved in full-time parish ministry for more than a decade. He is a certified spiritual director as well as a popular speaker, retreat leader, and storyteller. Eric has recently entered into formation for the permanent diaconate. Eric and his wife live with their two dogs in Regina, SK, Canada.

Joyce Donahue, MA, MPS, serves as Catechetical Associate in the Diocese of Joliet Religious Education Office. A former parish DRE and liturgy director, she currently volunteers as parish catechist and musician at St. John the Baptist Parish, Joliet, IL. She blogs at Liturgy and Catechesis Shall Kiss and maintains The Liturgical Catechist website.

Julianne Stanz is the Director of New Evangelization for the Diocese of Green Bay and a consultant to the USCCB Committee on Catechesis and Evangelization. Julianne infuses her talks, retreats, and seminars with humor, passion, and insights from her life in Ireland. A popular speaker, storyteller, and author, Julianne is married with three children and spends her time reading, writing, teaching, and collecting beach glass. She is the co-author, with Joe Paprocki, of The Catechist’s Backpack.

Lisa Jones is a third-grade catechist at her parish, St. Angela Merici in Missouri City, TX. She also serves her parish as the director of their Vacation Bible School program and as chairperson of the Faith Formation Council. Lisa blogs with her sister about faith and family life at Of Sound Mind and Spirit. She and her husband are the proud parents of three amazing kids.